Print Jam

Q: Sometimes my printer will just stop working in the middle of a print job. What could be causing this?

A:If your printer consistently stops printing, the cause may be a simple paper jam. A paper jam can be a reason for your printer to not even start the print job as well. Paper jams occur when the paper is torn, folded over just a slight bit or if it’s inserted incorrectly. Printers are also known to jam up in humid conditions, so you may want to think about where your printer is located in your home. Although you can’t change humidity, you can try putting your printer in a cooler place in the house.

All of those things can make a printer very stubborn and not do what you want it to. If your printer happens to jam up regularly, you may need to take it to a repair shop to get the insides cleaned out, or worst case scenario, some parts may need to be replaced.

To try and prevent paper jams, buy more high-quality paper instead of the “cheapo” stuff. High-quality paper seems to keep printers from jamming up more than cheaper types of paper. If you give in and spend a little more money on better paper in the beginning, you might be saving yourself some money in printer repair down the road.

You can also lessen paper jams by simply making sure you have the paper placed in the printer properly. Make sure the paper is within the holder guidelines. Also, don’t ever mix paper types in the same tray. This could cause even more problems for you.

If your paper jam is caused by a torn or folded piece of paper, pull it out in the opposite direction that the paper usually comes out of the printer. You should also check for little pieces of paper that may still be lodged in the rollers. Doing all of these things will prevent you from ever having to waste your time with a paper jam again!

~Erin

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on Friday, April 28th, 2006 at 1:45 PM and is filed under Printing Help.
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